Local disc golfers host first sanctioned tourney

More than 70 disc golf players braved the weekend rain to take part in the second tournament in the 2018/2019 Duck Golf series at the Salt Spring Island Golf Course.

Players had to contend with a bit of wind on the Friday practice round, but had sunny skies through the day. However, Saturday’s tournament was a great example of where the Duck Golf series gets its name from, with rain falling on and off throughout the day.

“It is Duck Golf, so we’re pretty much prepared for rain,” said Bill Anderson, a player from Vancouver.

The eight-tournament series runs through the winter, with the championship held in Burnaby in May.

Local player Evan Eyles took the top spot in the open men’s category with a score of 114 for two rounds of play. The open women’s category was won by Victoria’s Kristy Lee, scoring 133.

The tournament was the second in the series, put on by BC Disc Sports. It was also the first sanctioned disc golf tournament held on Salt Spring. The smaller course at Mouat Park did not qualify for sanctioned competition. After recently opening the new course at the Salt Spring Golf and Country Club, which has longer holes and more traditional layout, the local club is able to host bigger tournaments.

“It’ll definitely be good for disc golf on Salt Spring,” said tournament director Ben Corno. “It adds a bit more stability to the idea, which means we can put more energy into it.”

Corno hopes to build up the existing temporary infrastructure on the golf course with more permanent fixtures.

Sanctioned tournaments generally attract more serious players who are registered with the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). The results of the weekend’s tournament counted toward player ratings.

“When you’re a PDGA registered player, they track your scores and apply a rating to you relative to other players that you’ve played against,” Corno said. “If you play in a tournament that has a lot of great players and you do well, it’ll boost your rating. If you do just marginally at a tournament with bad players, it’ll probably drop your rating.”

Seventy-two players from as far away as Chilliwack participated in the Salt Spring tournament. The series will have events in Langley, Burnaby, Nanaimo, Mission and on Pender Island.